The Six Steeds in the Tang Dynasty

The Six Steeds in the Tang Dynasty tourbillon watch is Memorigin’s first automatic winding watch that possesses a central tourbillon with free sprung balances. The brand uses its outstanding micro-carving skills to present galloping horses with stunning scenery of mountains and rivers in China. The 42-diameter watch allows you to view the eight famous sacred mountains in China and the two cradles of Chinese 5,000 years of civilization: Yangtze River and Yellow River. The splendid historical, astronomical, and artistic elements of the Tang Dynasty are all embedded in to reveal the rich culture and glory of China.

In commemoration of the great achievements of Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of Tang, in defeating enemies on battlefields during the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, Memorigin created a three-dimensional horse time scale with reference to the Shaanxi famous bluestone reliefs, Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum. Four horses – “Qingzhui”, “Shifachi”, “Baitiwu”, and “Telebiao” are sculpted in 18K gold and placed at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock positions respectively. Each horse is merely 7mm in length and 5mm in height. To vividly present the posture of each war horse, each carving technician spends much time to complete the set of ingenious micro-carved works. The two horses, “Saluzi” and “Quanmaogua”, are carved on the hour and minute dials with flat-plane carving techniques. They become livelier as the dials rotate. The design of the pointers is inspired by the meridian-longitude (hour hand) and latitude (minute hand) determined by the distinguished astronomer Yi Xing in the Tang Dynasty, in recognition of their astronomical and geodetic contributions.

The horses gallop thousands of miles across magnificent mountains in China. Memorigin uses meticulous micro-carving techniques to engrave the eight great mountains on the silver dial. The craftsmen carve on the metal precisely according to the height and unique contour of each mountain. The depth of these mountain carvings is no more than one millimeter so no fault is permissible. Starting from 1 o'clock, the order of the mountains is (East) Mount Tai, (West) Mount Hua, (Center) Mount Song, (South) Mount Heng, (North) Mount Heng, Huangshan, Mount Lu, and Yandang Mountains. Each mountain is hand painted by micro-painting, presenting the vibrant colors of the mountains and forests. The details of the eight sacred mountain carvings are not only exquisite but also remarkable. The two longest Chinese rivers, Yangtze River and Yellow River, can be located across the dial as they glow in the dark.

The tourbillon movement is at the center of the dial and shares the same axis with the minute and hour hands. This complex gear train arrangement is a breakthrough for the brand. The escapement speed control system adopts a double-layered non-clamping hairspring structure, which effectively corrects the isochronous error caused by the shift of the center of gravity when the hairspring tenses and eases, so that the vibration frequency is more even and precise, and therefore time accuracy is greatly improved. The watch has a 42-hour power reserve, the central tourbillon rotates at a speed of 60 seconds per cycle, and the vibration frequency reaches 28,800 times per hour. It comes with a convenient automatic winding mechanism.

Memorigin has been attentive to the details in the packaging. A watch box is specially designed for this series. Through the arched three-dimensional dial model on the wooden watch box, the delicate watch can be seen at the central display glass window thereon. A magnifying glass is also included with the watch so that everyone can carefully appreciate the craftsmanship of the dial.

About The Six Steeds in the Tang Dynasty
Retail price: HKD $98,000

Model No.
SH 0226

Case
Stainless steel case
Watch size: approx.42mm
Watch thickness: approx.15.3mm
Both sides sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 5ATM

Movement
Flying tourbillon
195 pieces of subassembly module and 37 jewels
Frequency: 28800 Oscillation/Hour

Features
42 hours power reserve
The tourbillion located at center rotate at a speed of 60s for one circle
Manual winding mechanism

Dial
Each micro-carving technician spent approximately 260 hours to engrave the eight sacred mountains on the 3D silver dial and horses sculpted in 18K gold as the time scale
Illuminating "Yangtze River" and "Yellow River"
Pointers designed in meridian-longitude and latitude

Strap
Alligator strap